The Dog's Dilemma
by dragongoddess13
Summary: After fighting his way back through the veil only to be ambushed by an undercover Death Eater, Sirius finds him self in a bit of a furry situation. Story 1 of A Sirius Home Series


"Come on Hermione, lighten up." Ginny teased, dragging her friend down the street.

"Ginny, I don't have time for this." Hermione replied exasperated. At some point she'd stopped struggling against Ginny's grip, letting the young Quidditch star pull her through the streets of London. "Where are we even going?"

"You'll see," the redhead replied, just a bit too cheerily for Hermione's taste.

She sighed.

"Don't worry, we're almost there," Ginny placated. True to her word, Ginny pulled her around the corner, coming to a stop three businesses down.

"An animal shelter? Why…?" Hermione began, her eyes growing wide as understanding dawned on her. "Oh no, I don't think so. Not happening."

"Come on 'Mione. You said it yourself, Crookshanks is getting complacent in his old age. He needs a companion to keep him entertained while you're at work," Ginny pleaded. "Besides, think of how much Willamina will love having a pet of her own."

Hermione sighed. There was no way she could say 'no' to her daughter and Ginny was fully aware of that.

Willamina had come into Hermione's life quite unexpectedly. Her life was the same as any other Muggle's until her first bout of accidental magic had scared her overly religious parents so much that they were prepared to abandon her at a group home. Hermione had taken one look at her and decided she couldn't let that happen. She'd gone straight to the Minister himself and started the adoption process that very afternoon. Being a war hero had its advantages, and before Willamina had to see the inside of an orphanage, she was coming to live with Hermione.

Now six years old, Willamina was a ball of fire. Harry, surprisingly, had been the one to drawn the young girl out of her shell. She reminded Hermione both of herself, with her studious nature, and of the twins, with her mischievous streak (especially when she, Teddy and Victoire were together).

"Alright fine, we'll look," Hermione relented, earning a grin from her companion.

"Perfect, let's go!"

xXx

Sirius Black was angry. He'd fought his way through the foggy grey that lay beyond the veil only to tumble out at the exact same moment an Unspeakable he'd recognized as a Death Eater showed up to inspect the room.

Sirius didn't get the chance to react as the Unspeakable already had his wand out and aimed a quick spell at him. He felt his body shift the same way it did when he became Animagi.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Black," the Unspeakable said, and Sirius realized he now had to look up at the man. "But you've been gone an awfully long time and I've grown accustomed to living as a free man in this new, mostly peaceful world. I'm almost certain I would not fare well in Azkaban, and I have too many plans."

The next thing Sirius knew, he was waking up in a small metal and cinder block kennel, the barks of other dogs echoing around him.

"You've got to be fuking kidding me," he thought to himself.

That had been approximately three days previously, and the only thing Sirius had to be thankful for was the lack of Dementors in his new prison.

A few people had peeked into his kennel but his less than lackluster response to them had them turning away.

And then she appeared.

Sirius would recognize that shocking red hair anywhere. He'd never found Ginny Weasley more beautiful than he did right then.

"'Mione, over here," Ginny called over her shoulder. "This dog looks just like Padfoot." A moment later another familiar face appeared.

Both young women were much older than the last time he'd seen them. Ginny was now taller, her once long hair cut short, shaved down on one side. She was more muscular and certainly carried herself more confidently.

Hermione, on the other hand, had lost the last of her baby fat. Her hair was no longer frizzy and wild, but carefully tamed. She stood tall and proud, a young woman accustomed to a position of authority.

"Wow, he really does," Hermione replied, crouching down to his level. Sirius padded up to the chain link door, sticking as much of his face that would fit into one of the gaps closest to her. She laughed, bopping him on the nose.

"I think we found a winner," Ginny said, laughing as Sirius tried to squeeze more of his face through the gap.

"What? No, Ginny. He's too big!" Hermione protested, standing to height again. "He'll take up more space than Willamina, Crookshanks, and I combined."

"So, are you going to let a little thing like space stop you from making your daughter the happiest girl in the world? As a Marauder in training, don't you think it would delight her to have a pet that looks so much like her hero?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "And I suppose my best friend is going to rat me out if I say no?"

"It is my godmotherly duty."

Hermione looked back at the dog; he had removed his snout from the chain link and was now sitting patiently, looking back and forth between them as if waiting for an answer. When he noticed her looking at him, his tongue lolled out.

"Urg. Alright, fine," Hermione relented. "You're so lucky you're cute, dog." Ginny laughed as he barked happily, jumping up and resting his paws against the kennel door.

"He's massive," Hermione groaned.

"He's so well behaved, though," Ginny commented later as they walked through the streets of London toward the Leaky Cauldron, their newest family member on a leash between them. "He doesn't pull or get distracted or anything."

"I noticed," Hermione agreed. "He's a bit older, maybe whoever had him last trained him."

Not long after, they arrived and passed through the pub without stopping, heading straight for Diagon Alley. From there, they made their way down the main thoroughfare and through a back alley, coming out on an adjacent street lined with small brownstown flats.

Hermione's was the fourth from the end of the street, and from the moment he stepped inside, Sirius was overcome by just how _Hermione_ -like it was. It smelled of old book and was filled with warmth and comfort. A far cry from the cold, foggy grey beyond the veil.

"Well, here we are," Hermione spoke up, releasing Sirius from the leash. "Home Sweet Home."

They stepped into the foyer, a long hallway stretched out before them into the main flat beyond. An intricate wood staircase sat to the left and a single door to the right.

Sirius followed Hermione and Ginny down the hallway, which continued on to the back of the house, opening up into a large sitting area to the left. To the right stood a swinging door which he assumed led to a kitchen and a sliding door leading to a small back yard.

Hermione disappeared into the kitchen with the bag of dog food and bowls while Ginny set up the giant dog bed and blankets in the empty corner near the sliding glass door. When Hermione returned, she was carrying a decorative basket which she had filled with all the new toys she'd bought for him.

One thing was for sure, if Sirius were a real dog, he'd be a damn lucky one.

While the two witches were busy setting things up, Sirius too the opportunity to look around. The sitting room was exactly what he'd expect in Hermione's home: all for show, but not very functional. He'd bet his vault there was a another sitting room in the house that the family used. Sirius backtracked to the hallway, now taking the chance to look at the framed photographs he'd noticed while walking through. He recognized several immediately, one of Harry, Hermione and Ron during their first year, another of Harry and Hermione mixed in with the Weasley Clan, and one of Hermione with her parents. There was another photo of a little girl he didn't recognize. She had long black hair and bright green eyes, and was smiling brightly next to Hermione. There were even a few pictures of Harry, which he took to be recent pictures; Sirius only recognized the long haired, bearded man in the pictures as Harry because of his mother's gorgeous green eyes.

Not for the first time Sirius found himself wondering just how long he'd been fighting his way out of the veil.

"Eight years," he heard a familiar purr behind him. He turned to find Crookshanks looking down at him through the banister of the stairs. To anyone who didn't know the half-kneazle, he appeared as he did any other day: disinterested and aloof, But Sirius knew better; Crookshanks was happy to see him, and the feeling was mutual.

"There you are," Hermione cut off any reply Sirius may have had as she approached. She reached down, scratching him behind the ears. "I see you've already met Crookshanks." She squinted up at the cat. "Now Crooksie, come say hello to our new house mate."

Hermione reached up, catching Crookshanks as he hopped off the step. She kissed him on the head and then set him on the floor in front of Sirius. The smile on her face showed how pleased she was to see that neither of them instantly attacked the other. "Alright you two, behave yourselves while I'm gone," she told them, as Ginny joined her in the hallway and the two of them disappeared upstairs.

While they were gone, Sirius and Crookshanks caught up on what he had missed, the lives of the people he loved (and he learned that Hermione was unmarried and her adopted daughter was called Willamina), and what their future plans ought to be. All in all, Sirius had more answers than questions. Crookshanks' information was limited to "The Family," the people who visited Hermione's home on a regular basis, but he did promise to help Sirius get Hermione's attention to reverse the curse that the Death Eater had placed on Sirius.

Before Sirius had a chance to think too much about what being a dog in Hermione's home _permanently_ would be like, there was the sound of running feet above him and Hermione's voice calling out: "Don't run on the stairs, Willa."

A little girl laughed in reply and Sirius heard her feet hit the hardwood floor on the landing before they continued down the hall. He looked up from where he lay on his comfy new dog bed when he heard her gasp.

"A puppy!" the young girl exclaimed. He only had a moment to recognize that she was the girl from the pictures before she was running toward him.

"Merlin _help us_ if he's only a puppy." He only vaguely heard Hermione's voice as he got caught up in Willamina's excitement. It had been far too long since anyone was excited to see him.

"He's so cute Mama, he looks just like Padfoot!" Willamina continued. "Doesn't he, Mama?"

"He sure does. Is that what you want to name him?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"Yeah, that's perfect!" the girl replied excitedly, turning to face him again. "Your name is Padfoot," she explained. "You're named after one of the best pranksters ever."

Sirius barked, his tail wagging. _"Damn right I am."_

Hermione chuckled. "Alright, Sweetheart, go get cleaned up for dinner, Draco is coming over."

"Okay," Willamina said, hugging Sirius around the neck before turning and running back up the stairs.

"Don't run on the stairs!" Hermione yelled after her, shaking her head, an amused little smile on her face. Sirius watched her as she disappeared into the kitchen before running off to catch up with Willamina.

xXx

"Uncle Draco, Uncle Draco!" Willamina turned her attention from Sirius for the first time to jump into Draco Malfoy's arms when he walked into Hermione's kitchen that evening. "Look! Mama got me a dog and I named him Padfoot, isn't he great?!"

"He is great, 'Mina," Draco agreed, ruffling the girl's hair.

"Great _big_ ," Hermione added, but she smiled when she said it, so Sirius wagged his tail at her. "Come on," she told Draco. "We were going to eat without you."

Though Hermione forbade her daughter to give Sirius scraps, he was able to sit under her chair and lick her fingers. And once, when Hermione's back was turned, Draco winked at Willamina and tossed a piece of cheese on the floor for Sirius.

"He really does look like Padfoot," Draco said as Hermione brought out the dessert.

"I love him," Willamina said proudly. "I'm gonna pretend he's _really_ Padfoot. I bet Uncle Remus and Teddy will pretend with me."

"Maybe he actually is Padfoot," Draco joked, stirring his pudding. If the dog sat a little straighter, no one seemed to notice. "I mean, the similarities are almost too much to be believed."

Hermione laughed, though she wasn't entirely sure she found it all that funny. The truth of the matter was, her teeny tiny crush on him years ago aside, she would have loved for it to be true. Ignoring what Sirius' return would mean for Harry or Remus, Hermione missed him too. Christmas had never felt the same since his passing, not without him belting out Christmas carols in his, surprisingly operatic voice, or listening to his stories about how the Marauders spent Christmas at Potter Manor. She may not have always agreed with the way Sirius behaved, but he had still been a good man. Even though it would never come true, Hermione still wished Sirius could have a second chance at the life that had been stolen from him.

"As wonderful as that would be, Draco, Padfoot is just a dog," Hermione told him, shaking her head sadly at Willamina's hopeful face.

Sensing her melancholy settling over the table, Draco steered the conversation towards work.

xXx

"I want to watch Bowie, Mama," Willamina said after her bath that night. She snuggled up cozy in her pajamas on the plush sofa in the sitting room on the second floor.

"Okay, Sweetheart, Labyrinth it is." Hermione replied. She took the DVD from the shelf beside the television and set it up.

"Can Padfoot watch, too?" Willamina asked. Said dog was standing in the doorway.

"Of course he can," Hermione said.

"Come on, Padfoot," Willamina called, and Sirius trotted across the room, hopping up onto the sofa beside her and laying his head in her lap.

"Alright," Hermione began. "I'm going to be working in the office with Draco. Come get me if you need anything."

Willamina nodded and Hermione handed her the remote, kissing her on the forehead before leaving.

xXx

"I honestly think we've exhausted all of our options with this case, Granger," Draco told her an hour later.

"If that's true, then he's going to walk,." she replied. "Can't we just _remind_ the Wizengamot of the dangers of Love potions? I mean, honestly, look what happened to Tom Riddle."

"As true as that is, there's nothing _illegal_ about using a love potion on someone. And without proof that he gave it to his mistress for the express purpose of convincing her to kill his wife, our hands are tied."

Hermione huffed, throwing down the file she was reading and leaning back in her chair.

"Hermione," Draco began. "Maybe you should take a break after this case." She pierced him with an offended look that bordered on outraged, so he hurriedly continued: "It's not as if you don't deserve the break!"

"You think I can't handle my job?" Hermione snapped.

"Only a fool would think that," he replied, looking as though he had been a fool himself, to bring it up. "I just think that you work too hard. You always have. And if you're not working, you're taking care of Willamina or doing some favor for Potter and Weasley or volunteering for some charity or cause. You should take a vacation. Take 'Mina to see your parents, or to the shore… just get away, clear your mind. You have the days saved up to take months off at a time."

Hermione sighed. "Maybe you're right. It would be nice to take Willa somewhere fun. Some nice memories before she's off to Hogwarts in a few years."

Draco smiled, but before he could reply, a wispy white stag galloped through the window. It stopped before them and Harry's voice sounded as it opened its mouth.

"Hermione, Draco, your offices have been broken into. Please come to the Ministry immediately. I've already spoken to Remus; he's agreed to watch Willie for you."

"Get 'Mina settled; I'll meet you there," Draco told Hermione as he gathered his files.

Hermione wordlessly agreed.

xXx

Sirius had been hoping to sneak into the library and perhaps gain Hermione and Draco's attentions long enough to reignite the conversation from dinner. With Willamina asleep in front of the television, Sirius slipped his head out from under her hand and sneaked down the hall, only to stop short outside the study when he noticed the white stag. It was so good to hear Harry's voice again, even if the news it brought would take Hermione away.

"I don't want to go without Padfoot," Willamina told Hermione as she watched the older woman pack a bag for her.

"Willa, I can't ask Remus to watch Padfoot, too. That's too much."

"Please, Mama?" was all she replied, and Sirius watched with fascination as the sure-footed, by-the-book witch slowly melted under the gaze of Willamina's sleepy, pleading eyes.

"Alright, fine, but you are to give Uncle Remus no trouble. I mean it. You and Teddy stay _out_ of trouble."

"Yes, Mama." Willamina smiled before walking over to Sirius and putting her arms around him while she waited for Hermione to finish.

xXx

"I'm so sorry Remus, she wouldn't come without him," Hermione apologized, setting Willamina's overnight bag down.

"That's alright," Remus replied. "I'm sure Teddy will get a kick out of him at breakfast." He chuckled. Hermione smiled.

"'Mione, have you noticed how much…?" Dora began.

"Padfoot looks like _Padfoot_? Yes, that's been established." Hermione finished, handing her sleeping daughter off to Remus.

"It's uncanny, really," Remus said. "I mean, he's even got a similar scar on his ear."

Sirius perked up. He'd forgotten all about that. The slightly raised patch of skin on the tip of his ear where the fur wouldn't grow back, a little nip from Moony when he was feeling particularly playful one full moon.

Sirius could see the gears turning in Remus' head, just a bit more, and…

"Come on 'Mione, we should get going. No telling how long we're going to be," Dora spoke up, heading for the floo.

"Right," Hermione replied. "Thanks again, Remus."

"Of course. If you want to go home and sleep when you're done, I can drop everyone off at The Burrow in the morning on my way to Hogwarts."

"Thank you," Hermione answered gratefully as the green flames engulfed her.

Remus turned from the floo, catching Sirius watching him. "It's not possible," he muttered to himself before taking Willamina off to bed.

 _"Bloody hell,"_ Sirius lamented, collapsing in an exhausted heap on the floor.

It seemed the fates were against him. _Every time_ it appeared that someone would finally put the pieces together, their thoughts were diverted. It was almost as if someone had hexed them.

Sirius yawned and stretched. Being a dog was exhausting, especially with a mischievous six year old around. He had only known Willamina for one afternoon, but he'd found himself growing attached to the young girl. She was so rambunctious, so outgoing, and it certainly didn't hurt that she kept talking to him like her best friend. As a young man he'd always imagined he and his friends would all have children, children they would raise to carry on the Marauders spirit. Because of the war he'd been forced to let those thoughts go, but now that he had defeated the veil and returned to a place of hope, the ideas were coming back to him. He found he was rather excited to meet little Teddy.

With that in mind, Sirius slipped into a restful slumber.

xXx

"Teddy, don't be rude," Remus' voice drew Sirius from slumber.

"Where did this dog come from, Papa?"

"That's Padfoot, he's my dog," Willamina replied. She sounded so proud and Sirius felt a little flutter in his chest.

"You named him after Uncle Sirius?" Teddy asked, and Sirius opened his eyes to look up at the young boy. His hair was jet black, but as he turned back to Willamina, it shifted to a vibrant teal color.

"Uh huh, doesn't he look like Uncle Siri?" Willamina asked.

Teddy joined Willamina at the the kitchen table where she was already eating her breakfast. "Yeah, he does," he replied, shoveling pancakes into his mouth.

Sirius watched, amused, as Remus entered the room and scowled at his son's bad table manners.

"Alright you two, finish up," he said as he scooped food out of the pan onto a plate. "I'm going to take Padfoot home and then I'll be back to take you both to The Burrow."

"Aw, can't Padfoot come to Nana's with us?" Willamina asked. Sirius agreed wholeheartedly; he would have been a fool not to see this for the opportunity that it was.

Remus smiled, mussing her hair. "Not this time, pup." She pouted a little, which had to be one of the cutest things Sirius had ever seen. "I'll be back shortly."

Without prompting, Sirius followed his old friend to the floo, and within moments they were in the receiving room of Hermione's brownstone. Sirius knew this was his chance, if anyone would recognize him, Remus would.

Remus looked down as he felt Padfoot paw at his leg. Moony had been screaming at him since the night before, since this dog set foot in his territory. The similarities between this dog and Sirius were bizarre, to say the least. It was almost too painful to look at him, as memories of full moons past flashed through his mind; memories of Sirius prancing around as Padfoot, like he hadn't a care in the world, making them all laugh with his antics.

Moony was convinced that this dog was Sirius Black, but Remus knew better. Sirius was gone, just like James, just like Lily and just like the Peter they'd grown up with. _He_ was the last Marauder, and while the thought saddened him, there was also hope. Hope for his son, for Harry's son, for Hermione's daughter. The next generation was here and while it hadn't turned out as they'd imagined it would, at least their children would grow up without knowing the horrors that had altered the lives of their parents years before.

"You look so much like him," Remus said, kneeling down. He scratched Sirius about the ears. "But you're not him. You can't be him." He was getting choked up; what a ridiculous thing to cry over. He thought he'd already exhausted his tears for his fallen brothers. "I would give almost anything for you to be him."

Remus chuckled as Padfoot pressed his face into Remus' hand and Remus ran his hands through his thick black fur, scratching behind his ears only to hesitate over one spot in particular.

A scar, right on the tip of his ear. A scar in the exact same place as the scar on Sirius' ear. It wasn't similar; it was exact. But it couldn't be, because Sirius was gone and Remus was alone and this dog could not be his best friend. Could not be…

"Remus?" Hermione's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to find said woman, sleep-mussed in her pajamas, watching him from the doorway.

Remus cleared his throat and stood. "I'm sorry Hermione, did we wake you?"

"No, I couldn't sleep. Too much going through my head," she explained.

"I'm sure," he replied. "Dora gave me a few details before she fell asleep earlier."

Hermione hummed. "How's Willa?"

"She's alright. She's finishing breakfast, and then I'll take her and Teddy over to Molly's."

"Thank you, Remus, I really appreciate this."

Remus smiled. "Of course, I've got to get going though. Need to see them off quickly so I'm not late for the first class of the day."

She nodded her understanding and watched until he disappeared into the floo. She then turned to Sirius and yawned.

"Okay buddy, time for bed." she told him Sirius huffed in agreement, all of this disappointment was starting to get to him.

Sirius trotted along behind her into the master bedroom and waited for her to climb back into bed before jumping into the empty space beside her. She laid down and he curled up next to her, letting her lull herself to sleep by carding her fingers through his fur.

Sirius watched the young witch for some time. The last time he had seen her had been in the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Shed been unconscious, having taken a blow to the chest from Dolohov. He had been worried about her, but his first duty was to Harry, so he left her to another member of the order and moved on. Before that had been Christmas at Grimmauld Place. Arthur was healing well from his injuries and they were all toasting Harry for getting help to him in time. He'd found her later that night in the library, lamenting over Harry's shared connection to Voldemort.

He'd told her that they would protect him, that Harry would be alright, but she looked skeptical.

"No one who's supposed to protect him ever seems to know what's really going on." she told him. "And in the end it's just us out there, because despite knowing that Harry has a part in all of this, no one ever listens to him."

Sirius knew she was right, but he didn't want her to worry anymore. So he promised he'd be there to listen no matter what. It seemed to help a bit, but she still couldn't sleep, so they stayed up and talked for awhile.

Before that night they'd had a grudging respect for each other. She'd saved his life and they were both important to Harry, but that Christmas Eve spent in the library reminded Sirius of what exactly she had to face, something that Ron and Harry and even he himself would never truly understand, and realized he'd been a little too hard on her. It was hard to have fun when you always had something to prove. Hard to relax when you were afraid _one_ mistake could send you out of the world you'd come to love and thrive in.

Sirius wasn't blind, he'd seen the scar on her arm. His blood boiled with the thought of how she'd gotten it. The war was over, they had won, but what had they lost in the process?

xXx

Sirius spent a month as Padfoot. He'd gotten to see Harry and Little james Sirius (and if that didn't melt his heart nothing would). Harry seemed taken back by his appearence, but just like everytime before and every time after the idea slipped away before anyone could acknowledge it.

Despite being stuck as a dog, Sirius was having a good time with Hermione and Willamina. The family photo on Hermione's nightstand (Willamina, Crookshanks and Hermione) was replaced but a new one (Willamina, Crookshanks, Hermione and Himself). Willamina was homeschooled by several tutors so Sirius spent most of his time with Crookshanks during the day, lounging about and trying to figure out a way to convince everything that he was in fact Sirius.

It wasn't all fun and games,of course. Some nights his girls had nightmares (and when had he started considering them _his_ girls?), so he would crawl into bed with them and let them curl around him, not minding in the least when they wet his fur with tears.

He got to see Remus with his family, and what a joy it was to see his old friend so happy. And as the days rolled by he picked up little bits here and there to fill in the gaps Crookshanks' own lack of information left.

Sirius could admit it wasn't an awful life. Not having responsibilities at the moment suited him just fine, but as the days passed, Sirius found himself wishing he were human in their new family photo. Wishing that he could share a drink with Harry as he commiserate with Hermione and Ron over work. He wished he could share in his best friend's joy at finally having a family of his own or that he could enjoy being a free man again.

His chance finally came, ironically enough, on Halloween. Hermione hadn't dressed him over the top for the holiday, just a little something to match Willamina's own costume. They were waiting for Trick or Treat time to start when Harry burst through the kitchen door.

xXx

Sirius had heard a few days before Halloween that they'd caught the man who broke into the prosecutor's offices, but he hadn't heard much more than that, too busy trying to keep up with the children as they ran around Molly's garden. So, unbeknownst to him, the man they caught was the very same man who'd trapped him in his animagi form.

He'd remained silent through the last few days, but with Harry and Ron investigating and Hermione backing them up, the evidence was mounting against him, so his old option was to play his trump card.

"He claims to have information on the Veil." Harry explained as he sat across from Remus in his office at Hogwarts.

"Do you believe him?" Remus asked.

"Lying means the deal he wants is invalid." Harry replied simply.

"I see, and why did you come to me with this?" Remus questioned. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Harry coming to him for council, but the most he could offer was what little information already existed on the Veil.

Harry looked hesitant to continue. "He claims the information has to do with Sirius."

Remus froze, a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that had Moony's hackles raised.

"With Sirius?"

Harry noddd. "I know what I want to do and to be honest it's the selfish thing to do."

"And you're hoping I'll agree with you, relieve you of your guilt?"

Harry's silence was all the answer he needed.

"Be selfish Harry." he said. "I have a feeling I know what he's going to say."

Harry seemed confused by the statement, but agreed nonetheless.

"Are you going over now?" Remus asked.

"Yes."

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm finished with classes for the day, I'd like to tag along."

"Of course."

xXx

Harry had trouble keeping the emotion of his face as the Death Eater before him spun his tale.

"Why tell us this? If Sirius recognized you then he knows who you are, undoubtedly has evidence against you." Harry replied when the Death Eater was finished.

He laughed. "Just because you know he's out there, doesn't mean you'll ever find him. A big black dog in a city filled with dogs. Good luck."

"The fates seem to be working against you."

The man looked confused.

"None of us could quite believe why Hermione's new dog looked so much like Padfoot. We all chalked it up to coincidence." Harry explained.

"Thank to you," Remus continued. "We can now prove it's not."

xXx

Harry practically lept from the floo, just barely waiting to make sure Remus made it through before he was out the door of the receiving room. He could hear laughter and voices downstairs.

"No running on the stairs!" Willamina's voice called out, followed by Hermione's ringing laughter. "Hi Uncle Harry!" Willamina greeted him as he burst through the kitchen door.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Hermione and Willamina were sitting at the kitchen table making Halloween decorations out of construction paper. Sirius sat in a third chair watching, a headband with foam bats on springs on his head.

Maybe it was all the tension, or maybe it was just the absurdity of the situation, but Harry broke down, laughing to the point of doubling over. He was vaguely aware of Remus entering behind him.

"What is that matter with him?" Hermione asked Remus.

"It's a bit of a long story." Remus replied as he tried not to laugh as he noticed Sirius as well. "Well," he continued turning to Sirius. "I think your little vacation is over Sirius."

At the sound of his name, Sirius hopped off the chair, bounding over to Remus.

"What are you talking about, Remus?" Hermione asked as Willamina exclaimed;

"Is that really Uncle Siri?"

Sirius barked.

Remus knelt down, scratching Sirius behind the ears. "I think I know what spell that Death Eater used to trap you like this."

Sirius stamped his paws impatiently.

"Harry, what is he talking about?" Hermione questioned growing frustrated.

"The spy among the Unspeakables claims that he came across Sirius while doing his rounds in the Department of Mysteries. Sirius recognized him as a Death Eater from the first war, so to keep his cover he forced him into his animagus form and sealed him in."

"Is it really Uncle Siri?" Willamina repeated even more excited than before. Harry smiled down at her.

When Willamina had come into their lives she was the complete opposite of the little girl she was now. She was fully aware of what she had lost when her parents turned on her, of what it meant that she no longer lived with them and Remus had mentioned how much her story resembled Sirius'. So, Harry had taken it upon himself to tell her about his beloved Godfather and his exploits with the Marauders. She'd soon come to idolize Sirius, realizing that it wasn't just her. That bad things happened to lots of people and the trick was to find happiness even in the darkest of places by making a family of your own. She'd found a new family, one that loved her for who she was, just like Sirius had all those years ago.

"We're about to find out for sure." Harry told her.

Remus stood then, drawing his wand. "Alright Sirius, hold still." he instructed before waving his wand in a slow, deliberate pattern. Nothing appeared to have happened, but Remus didn't look upset so they assumed it had worked.

"Try changing back."

Soon enough, a man stood in place of the dog.

"Wicked," Willamina exclaimed. "I want to be an animagus!"

"Not until you're older." they all answered simultaneously.

It wasn't until after he'd greeted Harry and Remus that he turned to Willamina, crouching down to her level.

"Now," he began. "You need to finish your decorations little one, we have trick or treating to get to."

Willamina's face lit up. "Really?"

Sirius nodded, scooping her up and standing to height again. Willamina laughed, hugging him around the neck.

Hermione smiled as she watched them. "It's good to have you back Sirius." she told him.

"It's good to be back, Kitten."


End file.
